Corn-harvester



(No ModeL) V 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. E. FERGUSON.

001w HARVESTER.

No. 348,730. x Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

l t s WITNESSES: INVHNTOR:

. t x 5% M BY yum f: SW9 '1 ATTbgNBYS.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

s. B. FERGUSON.

CORN HARVESTER.

No. 348,730. Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. S. E. FERGUSON.

CORN HARVESTER. No. 348,730. Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

graphon Washmglon. n. c.

(No Model.) S 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

S. E. FERGUSON.

CORN HARVESTER.

No. 348,730. Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

S i N R S .N Q1 S x S t S H WITNESSES INVHNTOR: t (15% M a'mr'djig) BYflail ,1 ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER E. FERGUSON, OF EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110,348,730, datedSeptember 7, 1886.

Application filed August 11, 1885. Serial No. 174,118. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SYLvEsTER E. FER- GUSON, of Eureka Springs, in thecounty of Carroll and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Corn-Harvesters, of which the followingis a full, clear,and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of one of my i|nproved corn-harvesters. Fig. 2is a side ele vation of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same,partly in section and part being broken away. Fig. 4 is a rear elevationof the same, partly in section, through the line :0 .r, Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to provide corn-harvesters constructedin such a manner as to remove the cars from the stalks and deposit themin a receiving-box as the machine is drawnalong the rows of corn, thestalks being left in the field.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of variousparts of the machine, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and thenpointed out in the claim.

A represents the drive-wheels, the axle B of which revolves in bearingsattached to the frame 0.

To the rear cross-bar of the frame 0 is hinged the rear end of thetongue D, by means of which the machine is drawn and guided. The tongueD passes through a vertical guide-slot in a bar or p1ate,E,attached tothe front crossbar of the frame 0.

To the tongue D, at the forward side of the front cross-bar of the frame0, is attached a short standard, F, to the upper end of which is pivotedthe forward end of a foot-lever, G. The foot-lever G is fulcrumed to asupport attached to the front cross-bar of the frame 0, and its rear endextends back into such a position that it can be readily reached andoperated by the driver from his seat to raise and lower the forward endof the frame 0.

H is a platform, the rear end of which rests upon the extended rearcross-bar of the frame 0. The inner side of the forward part of theplatform H rests upon the extended end of the forward cross-bar of theframe 0. The platform H is kept in place by the guide-bars I, attachedto the frame 0, and the outer ends of which are bent downward and engagewith the inner bar of the frame of the platform H.

To the forward end of the platform H are attached guide-fingers J. Therear parts of the guide-fingers J are made hollow, and withinthem arejournaled the cone-like iron rollers K. the faces of which arecorrugated spirally. The sides of the rollers K project beyond the sidesof the guide-fingers J, and are at such a distance apart as to grasp thestalks that enter the spaces between the said guidefingers and draw thesaid stalks downward, pinching off the ears. The rollers K are arrangedin pairs, a pair for each space between the fingers J, and to the rearjournal of each roller K is attached a beveled gear-wheel, L. Thegearwheels L of each pair of rollers K, mesh into the teeth of adouble-beveled gear-wheel, M, so that the rollers of each pair will berevolved in opposite directions and toward each other, so as to draw thestalks downward between them. The double-beveled gear-wheels M areattached to a shaft, N, journaled to the frame of the platform H, and toit, near its inner end, is attached a small gear-wheel, O, the teeth ofwhich mesh into the teeth of a larger gear-wheel, P, journaled in thesaid frame of the platform H. Vith the large gear-wheel P is rigidlyconnect-ed a smaller gear'wheel, Q, the teeth of which mesh into theteeth of a larger gear-wheel, R, attached to the shaft S. The shaft Srevolves in hearings in theframe of the platform H, and to its inner endis attached a small gear-wheel, T, the teeth of which mesh into theteeth of the internallytoothed gear-wheel U, attached to the drive-'wheel A, so that the rollers K will be revolved by the revolution of thesaid drive-wheel A. By this construction of gearing the rollers K willbe driven at great speed by the slow revolution of the drive-wheel A.

To the forward inner corner of the frame of the platform H is rigidlyattached the end of abar,V, which extends along the front bar of theframe 0, is bent to the rearward at right angles, and to its rear end ispivoted the lever \V. The lever XV is pivoted at its lower end to theframe 0, and its upper end extends up into such a position that it canbe readily reached and operated by the driver from his seat. With thisconstruction, by operating the lever \V the platform H can be movedforward and back to throw the gear-wheel T into and out of gear with thegear-Wheel U, to start and stop the gearing that drives the rollers K.

To the inner end of the shaft N is attached a small pulley, X, aroundwhich passes an endless belt, Y. The belt Y also passes around a largerpulley, Z, attached to the inner end of the reel-shaft a, which revolvesin bearings in the upper ends of the posts I). The lower ends of thereel-posts b are attached to the forward corners of the platform H.

To the shaft (0 are attached the centers of the reel-arms c, the outerends of which are connected by the reel-bars d. The reel-bars d areconeaved upon their forward sides, so as to collect the upper ends ofthe cornstalks and force them to the rearward as the said stalks arepassing into and through the spaces between the rollers K.

The platform H is designed to have a downward and rearward inclination,so that the ears of corn as they are pinched from the stalks will fallupon the said platform and slide back to its rear end. As the ears ofcorn slide back along the platform H, they are guided by flanges e tothe outer part of the rear end of the said platform,where they fall intothe well of the elevator.

The framej' of the elevator is attached to the frame 0 of the machine,and to the upper and lower parts of the said elevator-frame arejournaled rollers 9, around which passes an endless belt, h, providedwith plates or carriers z, to take the ears of corn from theelevator-wcll and carry them up the elevator, the said well being soformed that the cars will be in the said well transversely of the belth, so that they will be readily taken up by the plates or carriers 2'.

To the extended inner journal of the lower beveled gear-wheel, 70,attached to the shaft S,

so that the said elevator will be driven by the mechanism that drivesthe conical rollers K.

From the upper end of the elevator the ears of corn fall into thereceiving-box Z, which is hinged at the rear edge of its bottom to therear cross-bar of the frame 0 or to guide-plates m, attached to theframe 0, and between which the said receiving-box rests and moves. Therear side of the receiving-box Z is inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, sothat the ears of corn will readily pass out of the said receiving-boxwhen tilted.

To the top of the forward side of the receiving-box Z is attached thedrivers seat a, so that the weight of the driver will assist in holdingthe said box in place when the machine is in use.

To the forward corners of the receiving-box ing mechanism can be thrownout of gear, and

the machine drawn to any desired place, and the ears discharged into anydesired receiver; or the ears can be discharged in heaps in the fieldand afterward collected.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent In a corn-harvester, the combination,with theframe 0 and the platform H, of the elevatorfg h z and its drivingmechanism, and the receiving-box Z, hinged at its rear bottom edge andprovided with handles at its top forward corners, and having the driversseat mounted upon its top forward side, substantially as herein shownand described.

SYLVESTER E. FERGUSON.

\Vitness'es:

HARVEY KARNES, GEORGE W. LYNN.

